Friday, May 28, 2004
Who wants to be... a President?
The usual wranglings of American elections dont take place in debates as often as they take place on the TV. There are a few interesting things that one can read between the lines when one watches these adverts on TV.
Take outsourcing of jobs... now that the US unemployment rate is at it's recent low of 5.6%, this might not be a major issue. But even at it's peak what John Kerry said was this: "I will stop giving tax relief to companies that outsource jobs abroad". So what it means is that Kerry wont pass laws to stop outsourcing altogether. He will just stop reducing their taxes. Chances are outsourcing won't change much because saving say 10% on taxes is peanuts compared to the 80% relief a company gets when it outsources.
Let me clarify that I am neither against John Kerry, nor am I for outsourcing. If all the tech jobs in the US are outsourced, it would mean that I will be "outsourced" back to India as well. I'd be paid a fraction of the salary paid in the US for doing the exact same tasks. So I have more to gain because of jobs staying in the US.(But I am not averse to the idea of going back to India either). Secondly about Senator Kerry... I think he is a better man than George W Bush. I know about as much as one can know about him from a google search and watching the ads on TV, but he doesnt appear to make as many slanderous ads as Prez Bush, which tell us a lil about his character. He also seems to have fought bravely in Vietnam, which is a lot more than Prez Bush's skipping work in the Army National Guard. (Not hard to imagine that no one remembers him.) The question is, are the uneducated/badly-educated majority going to put the president back in power? The president who conveniently connected Al-Qaeda with Iraq and opened a Pandora's box as a consequence... only time will tell.
The usual wranglings of American elections dont take place in debates as often as they take place on the TV. There are a few interesting things that one can read between the lines when one watches these adverts on TV.
Take outsourcing of jobs... now that the US unemployment rate is at it's recent low of 5.6%, this might not be a major issue. But even at it's peak what John Kerry said was this: "I will stop giving tax relief to companies that outsource jobs abroad". So what it means is that Kerry wont pass laws to stop outsourcing altogether. He will just stop reducing their taxes. Chances are outsourcing won't change much because saving say 10% on taxes is peanuts compared to the 80% relief a company gets when it outsources.
Let me clarify that I am neither against John Kerry, nor am I for outsourcing. If all the tech jobs in the US are outsourced, it would mean that I will be "outsourced" back to India as well. I'd be paid a fraction of the salary paid in the US for doing the exact same tasks. So I have more to gain because of jobs staying in the US.(But I am not averse to the idea of going back to India either). Secondly about Senator Kerry... I think he is a better man than George W Bush. I know about as much as one can know about him from a google search and watching the ads on TV, but he doesnt appear to make as many slanderous ads as Prez Bush, which tell us a lil about his character. He also seems to have fought bravely in Vietnam, which is a lot more than Prez Bush's skipping work in the Army National Guard. (Not hard to imagine that no one remembers him.) The question is, are the uneducated/badly-educated majority going to put the president back in power? The president who conveniently connected Al-Qaeda with Iraq and opened a Pandora's box as a consequence... only time will tell.
Monday, May 17, 2004
I have always been impressed by the amount of wit most Americans employ in their day-to-day conversations. Not only are Americans funny, but casual conversation is usually filled with humor and incisive wit... I just dont know how to explain it. In India most people talk about the most mundane and obvious things... You got to a movie theater and see a friend there, and he goes "Oh did you come here to see a movie?". Instances of such rhetorical questions abound. In America though, all sorts of people from cabbies to bus drivers to receptionists have great wit in their talk. I dont think this is specific to Madison or Louisville, cos I have seen this even on vacation in NY and Seattle.
My sample set for another observation is rather small, but showbiz people write superior speeches...nothing short of genius. I've been to one Commencement (translate Graduation) ceremony speech by Gary Zucker (director of Ghost) and I was so impressed by the wit, the story-telling... just everything.
I read a transcript today from another Commencement Speech at UW Madison by Bradley Whitford (the guy who plays Deputy Chief of Staff in series "the West Wing" ) and I cant tell you how amazed I am by the fact that this person could also reproduce the high's of last years commencement speech. Transcript is located here. Trust me.. you just have to read this speech... its way too super!!!
My sample set for another observation is rather small, but showbiz people write superior speeches...nothing short of genius. I've been to one Commencement (translate Graduation) ceremony speech by Gary Zucker (director of Ghost) and I was so impressed by the wit, the story-telling... just everything.
I read a transcript today from another Commencement Speech at UW Madison by Bradley Whitford (the guy who plays Deputy Chief of Staff in series "the West Wing" ) and I cant tell you how amazed I am by the fact that this person could also reproduce the high's of last years commencement speech. Transcript is located here. Trust me.. you just have to read this speech... its way too super!!!
